Glossary
solubility
Solubility is how much of a solute will dissolve in a given amount of solvent; for most solid solutes it rises with temperature.
Solubility is the amount of a solute that will dissolve in a given amount of solvent at a given temperature, usually measured in grams per 100 grams of solvent. A substance that dissolves well is soluble; one that will not is insoluble. For most solid solutes, solubility increases as the solvent gets warmer, which is how a saturated solution at room temperature can take a little more when heated. Gases work the other way — a warm soda goes flat because warm water holds less dissolved gas. The common error is to confuse solubility with the speed of dissolving: solubility is how much dissolves, not how fast.
Taught in
Related terms
- solute — The solute is the substance that dissolves in a solvent — usually the lesser amount, like the salt in salt water.
- solvent — The solvent is the substance that does the dissolving — usually the greater amount, like the water in salt water.
- saturated solution — A saturated solution holds all the solute it can at that temperature; an unsaturated one could still dissolve more.
Source: OpenStax Chemistry 1e and Chemistry: Atoms First 1e, first editions (CC BY 4.0). Each definition restates the Chemistry guide in this exam, which carries the per-source citations on its own page. (OpenStax 1e accessed 2026-10-08)